In the central Appalachian Mountains, Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis are a popular target of anglers, but given the remoteness of many of these systems traditional creel methods of evaluating angling effects are impractical. We used a combination of angler and fish survey sampling methods to determine the sizes and numbers of fish harvested. Fish harvest information was reported by anglers, trout size structures were determined by electrofishing, and angler effort was identified via surveys and remote camera sampling in six streams in West Virginia. On average, anglers retained 3.7 +/- 0.2 fish (mean +/- SE) >= 170 mm TL per trip. Between March 13 and May 29, we estimated that anglers harvested from 0.1 to 2.3 +/- 0.3 fish per 100 m in the six streams. Applying these harvest rate estimates to Brook Trout > 170 mm TL, densities in 25 headwater streams in West Virginia yielded a mean of 14.5 angler-days to deplete harvestable-sized fish in these streams. Anglers appeared knowledgeable of local fish populations and focused greater effort on streams with larger populations of harvestable-sized fish. While Brook Trout populations in low-productivity streams may be particularly sensitive to harvest, anglers appear to use them less often. However, in low-productivity streams where fewer harvestable-size fish occur, anglers may still have noticeable effects on mortality through postrelease stress on abundant smaller-sized fish. This study identifies the localized effects that a small subsection of anglers may have on remote populations of sensitive fish and should be carefully considered as a way to understand more widespread effects on popular sport fishes that exist in remote areas.

We tested the hypothesis that brook trout growth rates are controlled by a complex interaction of food availability, water temperature, and competitor density. We quantified trout diet, growth, and consumption in small headwater tributaries characterized as cold with low food and high trout density, larger tributaries characterized as cold with moderate food and moderate trout density, and large main stems characterized as warm with high food and low trout density. Brook trout consumption was highest in the main stem where diets shifted from insects in headwaters to fishes and crayfish in larger streams. Despite high water temperatures, trout growth rates also were consistently highest in the main stem, likely due to competitively dominant trout monopolizing thermal refugia. Temporal changes in trout density had a direct negative effect on brook trout growth rates. Our results suggest that competition for food constrains brook trout growth in small streams, but access to thermal refugia in productive main stem habitats enables dominant trout to supplement growth at a watershed scale. Brook trout conservation in this region should seek to relieve the “temperature–productivity squeeze,” whereby brook trout productivity is constrained by access to habitats that provide both suitable water temperature and sufficient prey.

The extent of impairment to some Appalachian watersheds from acid precipitation is so extreme that watershed scale analytical tools are needed to help guide cost‐effective management decisions. The objective of this study was to develop a measure of the functional value of streams as potential areas for juvenile Brook trout recruitment. This measure, which we term “weighted potential recruitment area” (WPRA), is a function of the expected Brook trout spawning intensity and juvenile survivorship. Estimates of WPRA for each stream segment were then used to identify restoration priorities and optimal restoration programs in the upper Shavers Fork watershed in West Virginia, U.S.A. Using this approach, we determined that the watershed has lost nearly 80% of its historic juvenile recruitment potential as a result of acid precipitation. We also determined that of the 145 stream segments in the watershed, eight critical stream segments account for nearly 20% of the loss. The costs and ecological benefits of a series of five alternative restoration programs were then assessed using an ArcGIS model (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, CA, U.S.A.). This approach identified two “optimal” alternatives: (1) a low‐cost, moderate‐benefit approach that would use existing rail access to treat acidification in three critical headwater locations and (2) a high‐cost, high‐benefit approach that would use aerial limestone application to treat numerous acidic tributaries near their source. The measure of stream ecological value that we developed was effective in identifying critical restoration priorities and optimal restoration strategies in this watershed. A similar procedure could be used to guide watershed restoration decisions throughout the Appalachian region.